Little Dragon
by Sourpatch-Devil
Summary: She was merely a shinobi from another village, but she seemed kind of...off. Placed during the Sasuke Retrieval Arc and after. ShinoxOC, first romance fic.
1. Chapter 1

First romance fic, ShinoxOC. Trying to challenge myself :)

Placed during Sasuke Retrieval Arc and afterward.

I don't own Naruto.

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Little Dragon

Chapter 1

-Shino's POV-

After finishing a mission with my father, we trekked home through the forest, quiet as mice. Frankly, the mission wasn't much; it was just a surprisingly weak missing-nin to take care of. One chakra draining from our Parasitic Insects pretty much finished him off. However, that wasn't the most intriguing part of our mission; during our fight, the weather was sunny at first, but then rain poured heavily over the barren ground. After that, the clouds shifted to reveal the sun again, and all was calm after that.

I gazed up at the canopy of green, raindrops occasionally dripping from the tips of leaves, the sunshine filtering through the small gaps between the leaves. The ground beneath me squelched under my feet, still wet from the rainfall, and birds sang their song like it was the beginning of spring. The result of the rain had caused a very clean yet damp smell, and I wondered how my Parasitic Insects would fare. As far as I knew, the rain could affect their sense of smell.

My father suddenly stopped in his tracks, his head tilted. "Shino," he called out, his tone implying that he made a discovery of some sort.

I stopped alongside him and asked, "What is it?"

"There's another person here," he replied, holding out a finger. One of his Parasitic Insects flew onto his finger, and generated a buzz by flapping its wings. My father set his hand down and glanced toward the left, where there were nothing but dark tree trunks. "It's a female, about the same age as you, but she's unconscious. We should go check."

"No," I argued. "We don't need to mind our business with a girl who is unconscious."

"It might be one of Konoha's Genin, Shino. If so, we need to return her to the village."

I sent out a few bugs to go and check, and they flitted away obediently. After a minute they came back and landed on my open palm, sending their message through my finger. "It's not anyone we know," I said disdainfully. "Let's just return back to Konoha, father."

"My bugs tell me that she is lost and will do no harm. Besides, we could question why she is here in this forest bordering Konoha. She won't do anything foolish if she wakes up." My father started to stride away briskly, not looking back at me. "Shino, let's go," he growled, and disappeared into the plant life.

"You sound so sure about what she will do in our village," I muttered under my breath, but grudgingly followed him.

After a few minutes of walking through the forest, we approached a clearing where there were no leaves to block out the sunlight. Resting on a fallen tree was indeed an unconscious girl; she wore a short black skirt and tight trousers, a white sleeveless shirt with intricate black swirl patterns that was soaked by rain, and her matted golden-brown hair fell over her shoulders. Her head had a nasty swollen bruise. My eyes then rested on her forehead protector: engraved on the metal piece was a sun peeking out from a cloud.

"What village is she from?" I asked, not recognizing the symbol.

"Soragakure," my father said, stooping down to inspect it. "The Village Hidden in the Sky. It's a very, very small village that has some rivalry with Kumokagure because of their techniques. Other than that, I have no more information." He picked her up gingerly, bridal style. "I don't know why she is here, so I'm going to take her to Konoha to be interrogated. We're going, Shino."

I narrowed my eyes at my father, who ignored me and started walking away. My father wasn't exactly the type to resist; he was more of the type to walk away and win anyway. Sighing, I walked after him, wondering exactly how special this girl was.

/\/\/\ /\/\/\

Thirty minutes later, I was in a hospital room, waiting for the girl to wake up. Her head was bandaged, she was as still as stone, and I was beginning to have doubts that she was still alive. My hand cupped my chin in impatience, and my eyelids started to droop. Too much had happened today: first the mission with the missing-nin, then on the way home we found this girl, and after we had managed to get her all the way to Konoha, Tsunade assigned me as her guide around the village once she woke up. Now I was as tired as ever.

A soft murmur made me jolt a little, and I gazed at the girl warily. She shifted a little under her white blanket, and her eyelids fluttered open. "Where am I?" she murmured tiredly, sitting up and stretching a little. "Why am here?" She looked around wearily at her mostly white surroundings, and then her gaze rested on me. She blinked, and backed away a little. "And who are _you_?" she exclaimed, clutching the sheets.

I was a little taken aback by her expression. S_he's probably scared because of my shady figure_, I mused to myself.

"I'm Shino Aburame," I replied. "A member of the Aburame Clan. Now who are you?"

She furrowed her eyebrows, her honey-colored eyes confused. "I don't know," she finally said with hints of sorrow in her voice. "I don't remember anything at all. I don't know my name, what I'm capable of, or where I am from anymore."

I looked at her forehead, where the bandage was. _She probably lost her memory when she hit that tree_. "Are you well enough to move?" I asked. "Lady Tsunade told me to bring you to her once you woke. Check if you can move your arms and legs."

She shrugged, then lifted one arm, flexed her fingers slowly, and did the same with the other hand. She then bent one knee, then the other. "I think so," she replied slowly. In a flash, she had swung herself of the bed and now was standing on the marble floor. "Now take me to whoever-you-just-said!" she demanded.

I raised an eyebrow at the girl, and she stared determinedly back at me. Inside my head, I was contemplating her speed; to my eyes, she was just sitting on the bed, and in the next second she was standing on the floor. It was like two pictures, played one after another. Sighing in exasperation, I reminded her, "The name is Lady Tsunade."

She nodded, seemingly just as an answer, and sprinted out the door. However, she stopped when she was half in and half out of the door, having no idea where to go. Her head swiveled left, turned right, and turned left again. She then stood with her back slouched in disappointment. "Where am I supposed to go?" she asked.

I walked past her and turned to the right. "Follow me," I told her, and she nodded in response. She followed me out of the hospital and toward the Hokage's building, and all the while the girl stared in wonder at the bustling village and the Hokage faces carved on the side of the cliff. Once reaching the office, I turned the knob, and Tsunade looked up as we entered.

"Ah, Shino," she said, smiling and taking a sip of tea. "It looks like you brought our stranded girl. What's her name?"

"She doesn't remember," I told her, and shoved my hands into my coat pockets, waiting anxiously for Tsunade's response. The girl waited tensely, clasping her hands together, but was polite enough to not say a word in front of our Hokage.

"She doesn't remember?" Tsunade echoed with surprise, and I nodded. After a moment of silence, she responded with a small laugh, "Well, I guess you'll have to name her then. We'll also have to postpone the interrogation because of her memory loss. Show her around the village, will you?"

I nodded again. "Alright."

"Train her a little after that. I want some words on what she can do. You may leave."

"Thank you, Lady Tsunade," I said curtly, and took the girl outside, closing the door behind me. We waited in silence for a moment, and I looked at her, expecting her to make a response. She returned the gaze with suspicion and complained, "You know, it's really hard to tell what you're thinking with those sunglasses covering your eyes and that collar jacket covering your mouth. How is someone like you supposed to give a name for me?"

"You don't trust me, do you?" I asked, because I didn't trust her very much either.

"Just not with the name-giving," she snapped, and then gazed outside. "Let's just go somewhere. But can I get the final decision on the name you pick for me?"

"Sure." I took her outside and started to point out different buildings as we snaked our way through crowds of people. "There's my clan...we passed Ichiraku Ramen, the place where Naruto loves to eat at...there are the hot springs..."

"Do you go there?" the girl suddenly questioned with a slight smirk, her eyes full of mischief.

I glared at her, but she probably couldn't see it through my dark sunglasses. "No." I then pointed to a large field; the grass had been cut nicely, and there was no one in sight. "Let's go to the training grounds," I suggested. "I want to see your abilities."

She looked scared, her eyes widening. "But…what if I don't know anything?" she protested. "Then there wouldn't be any point in asking me."

"Your abilities might come back to you," I reassured her. "Let's go."

We soon stood in the middle of the field, the calm breeze blowing some leaves past us. The girl looked around nervously, her hands still clasped tightly, standing as still as a statue. I gazed into her eyes that were filled with trepidation, and assigned her first task. "I want to see how fast you run. This will be the basics for you."

"From here to where?" she asked, shifting from foot to foot and looking down at the dewy grass.

"From here to that tree all the way over there," I instructed, pointing to a towering fir tree that was easily taller than most of our village's buildings. She nodded, mouth curling up into a grin, and in an instant she was under the shade of the tree, waving happily. My eyebrows raised; my eyes still couldn't catch up with her movements. Her speed was amazing, fast like a dragon. Yet, she had the curiosity and the energy of a small child. A name clicked in my mind. "Come here," I called out, and she was back by my side, her head tilted questioningly. "I have a name for you," I announced.

"Is it a crappy name?" she asked stubbornly, crossing her arms.

"Your name is officially Kaida."

She frowned a moment, then admitted, "It's actually not that bad of a name. What's it mean, though?"

"Little dragon," I told her, and the corners of my mouth twitched slightly.


	2. Chapter 2

_Finally uploaded the second chapter. I do not own Naruto, Read and review._

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Chapter 2

We continued training until we were panting, sitting under the shade of the trees to cool down. Kaida was quiet for a moment, eyes surveying the unfamiliar area. Then she asked, "What type of fighting do you do?"

I hadn't shown her my bug jutsu, and was unwilling to. First off, I didn't know if she was scared of bugs. Second, I was afraid that they would harm her. I said vaguely, "A jutsu that drains chakra."

Unfortunately, she was the type who needed every detail in a situation. "What type?"

I set my mouth in a firm line, then muttered, "Bugs."

Her eyes sparkled. "Awesome!" she exclaimed. "Show me!"

Smiling slightly, I allowed the bugs to swarm out, ordering them to just fly around me like a grey spiral. Kaida stared in wonder at the phenomenon, and the bugs dispersed. She finally looked at me, and spoke, "That was cool. But I think I might want to know more about you."

Those words hit me hard, as they could've meant anything. "Like what?" I asked slowly.

She sat with a sly grin on her face. Suddenly, she whipped out her hand and knocked away my sunglasses. I rolled to the ground, face hitting the soft grass, and blindly reached out to where I thought my glasses were, except for one problem: they were in Kaida's hand.

I stayed facedown on the grass, waiting. Kaida sighed audibly, and complained, "You know, you can't stay that way forever. You're never going to get your glasses back if you do that."

I knew she was right. I didn't want her to see my eyes because…well, I didn't want her to. _Great reasoning, _I mused inside my head. Thinking quickly, I stood up, back facing her, and I knew I only had a split-second before she arrived in front of me. I put my hands in front of my face and commanded the bugs to take the form of glasses. They soon swarmed up to my face, and my eyes were concealed once more.

"That's not fair!" Kaida argued, and aimed for my face, but I was prepared and leaned to one side. When she stumbled, I snatched the glasses back and put them back on, the bugs flying away as my hands reached up to my face. I looked at Kaida, and she was smiling. "You know you have a beautiful face, right?" she asked calmly.

"W-wait…" I spluttered. "How did you see my face?"

With super-fast fingers she poked my arm. "You're too slow! C'mon, Shino-kun, you can do better than that…"

"Wait," I said again, interrupting her. "Why are you calling me 'Shino-kun' all of a sudden?"

She remained calm, and replied, "Well, I should respect you since you are nice to me."

"Am I?" I wondered aloud.

Kaida laughed. "Yeah. What do we do now?"

I shrugged. "I'll take you around the village, I guess."

We walked all around. I showed her the Hokage faces carved into the mountainside, the Hokage's office, different clans, and finally I showed her Ichiraku Ramen. She sniffed when we went near, and asked, "Can I have some ramen?" I thought I heard her stomach growl.

Amused by her sudden question, I told her, "Sure, as long as you don't eat too quickly. I'll be broke in no time."

Walking in, I noticed someone with spiky blonde hair, covered in bandages. "Naruto? Are you alright?" I asked.

Naruto swiveled around, but not before he slurped a noodle. "Hey, Shino! It's alright, these bandages are nothing…" He suddenly looked at Kaida, and she stared back, curiosity in her gaze. He pointed at her and asked me, "Who's this? She can't be your girlfriend, can she?"

Before I could react, Kaida punched him with lightning-fast speed, leaving a giant bruise on his head. "It's not nice to point," she said. "And Shino-kun is my guide around the village. I'm new here."

"What's your name then?" he asked, not commenting on what she had called me.

"Kaida," she replied smoothly.

He raised an eyebrow. "No last name?"

"Nope."

Naruto held out a hand. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki, the future Hokage!"

She shook it warmly, and asked, "How're you going to become Hokage with all those bandages?"

"Just you wait!" he responded with a grin. "I'll…"

"NARUTO! YOU ARE IN SERIOUS TROUBLE!" a different voice yelled.

We all turned around to see Shizune, eyes blazing, a couple ANBU with her. In less than a minute, they had Naruto bound together with some rope, and Shizune angrily dragged him along the street. Kaida remarked, "That lady has some anger issues."

"No, it's because of Naruto," I corrected her. "The village goof." I ordered a regular bowl of ramen for her, and she waited impatiently, eyeing the bowl of ramen hungrily. Once it was set in front of her, she grabbed a pair of chopsticks, and began wolfing the noodles down. The bowl was soon half-empty, and I snapped, "Didn't I tell you not to eat too fast?"

She drank the last of her soup, and smacked her lips. "That was the best ramen ever!" she declared. Turning to me, she added, "Just because I eat fast doesn't mean a bowl of ramen can't fill me up."

"I'm glad you aren't Naruto," I muttered.

"Pardon?"

"Nothing," I said quickly. "Nothing." I then thought about the bandages Naruto had all over him. That definitely made me question his whereabouts, and I told Kaida, "We'll go into the Hokage's office again. I need to talk to Lady Tsunade."

Kaida obediently jumped off of her seat. I paid the bill, and we headed toward the office. Tsunade looked up from her papers, and greeted us, "So you two are back. Does the girl have a name?"

"Yes," I replied. "It's Kaida."

She smiled, and asked, "It means 'little dragon', right?"

I nodded.

She folded her arms and sat back in her chair. "So, what did you come here for?"

"I was wondering why Naruto was covered in bandages," I began. "Did something go wrong?"

She sighed and looked out the window. "Well," she responded after a few moments of silence, "When you were on that mission with your father, Sasuke defected from the village."

I thought I didn't hear correctly. "What?" I demanded.

"It's true. Shikamaru, Naruto, Kiba, Choji, and Neji went pursued him, except they failed. Apparently, their enemies were extremely powerful. It's a miracle that they're all alive." She sighed. "Shikamaru was going to add you in the squad, except you weren't there at the moment…"

I clenched my fists, cursing that the timing for my mission just had to be during the time Sasuke left the village. I regretted that I wasn't there to help. Despite being in this mood, I bowed respectfully and left. Kaida whispered, "You regret that you weren't there, right?"

I continued to stare forward, mind racing. Kaida patted my shoulder and whispered, "It's ok, you know. If you weren't on that mission, you wouldn't have found me. Even though I know how much regret you feel, I'm grateful that you missed out."

She was right. I leaned over and whispered hoarsely, "Thanks."


	3. Chapter 3

_This story will probably be fairly short...just a notice. R&R._

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Chapter 3

I watched as Hana, Kiba's brother, tended Akamaru with careful and skilled hands. Kaida sat by my side, quiet and solemn. Kiba, whose head was covered in bandages, asked nervously, "Will he be okay, sis?"

"Yes," Hana replied, not taking her eyes off the whimpering Akamaru. "No long walks for both of you, though. Stop being so reckless in your missions!"

Kiba chuckled a bit. "Sorry," he apologized. Hana left the room, and he turned to us. Grinning, he teased, "Looks like the village's mystery man has a girlfriend."

Kaida was about to respond with a quick yet painful smack on the head, but I replied calmly, "What else am I supposed to do with a girl that I found stranded in the woods? I have to guide her around the village so she won't get lost. Besides, these were Lady Tsunade's orders. If I were on the mission with you, she probably would have died of who-knows-what." I tried as hard as I could to restrain from turning red.

Kiba slowly inched away from the bed, his eyes darting back and forth. He muttered, "Looks like he's sulking…"

Pretending I didn't hear clearly, I looked him full in the face and asked, "Did you say something?"

It was now Kiba's turn to become red in the face. "No," he claimed hastily. I didn't reply, as ominous as I was, and told Kaida, "Let's go."

As soon as we walked out the doors, Kaida wondered out loud, "Why does everyone have to assume we're in a relationship and laugh about it?"

I pursed my lips. "Haven't you noticed that I usually show no emotion?"

She stared at me. "What are you talking about?" she demanded, and playfulness sparkled in her honey eyes. "Well, you do show some signs of it when you're alone with me."

I tried to give her an exasperated look, but as she said, it was hard to tell what I was thinking under the sunglasses. She giggled, and told me, "You do, really. The only thing you need from this is enjoyment."

I decided to change the topic, as this one was driving me crazy. "Do you want to train some more?"

"Sure," she replied. "But what are you going to teach me?"

I ran through all the ideas in my head. I had already taught her the basic techniques such as clones, transformation, and substitution; I didn't use genjutsu; out clan's ninjutsu was impossible to learn; what about taijutsu? Yes, taijutsu would be the perfect skill for her inhuman movements.

"You will be learning taijutsu today," I told her. "Except I won't be teaching you this time."

"Then who is it?" Kaida inquired.

"Rock Lee," I replied, and commanded my bugs to go and find Lee, who was training in the training grounds, currently doing pushups. We walked over to the grassy patch, and I called, "Lee!"

Lee appeared, sweating. "What…is…it…?" he asked between breaths.

I nodded toward Kaida. "Please teach Kaida some taijutsu skills."

Lee seemed to brighten. "No worries, Shino!" he declared. "I will teach her the power of youth as well!"

"That wasn't what I was asking for," I muttered under my breath. Fortunately, he didn't hear.

Lee faced Kaida, and told her politely, "You may start first."

Without any hints, she burst forward, striking a punch toward the face. Lee dodged swiftly, and Kaida aimed a kick up at his chest, but he flipped backwards and landed. Smiling, he said, "Please wait a moment." He took out his heavy ankle weights, which created two small ditches when dropped. He rushed forward, seeming to disappear, and Kaida disappeared as well. I could hear grunts coming from both of them, and they engaged in close combat. All I saw of the match was green and black blurs. Lee whipped out three kunai and threw them at Kaida. She caught them all and started running circles around Lee, throwing the kunai as she ran. She was fast enough to throw a kunai and catch it on the other side, and Lee kept dodging the kunai, finally jumping into the air. Kaida jumped and flung the kunai downward, narrowly missing Lee. She started to flail her legs, and her movements were as if she were running down an invisible wall. She drew back her fists and started barraging Lee with blinding speed. Lee returned them in midair, and as he fell toward the ground he crouched and disappeared. All Kaida hit was the grass, creating another small ditch.

She whirled around to see Lee above her, crying, "Leaf Whirlwind!" Kaida stared wide-eyed as a blue sandal swung toward her face, but when his foot made contact, she disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Lee looked around in confusion, but he had no time to do that; three shadows were coming down on him, fists raised in the air. The sunlight glinted perfectly on the Kaida's and her clone's fists, all slanting down directly at Lee, the three rays momentarily blinding him. As if she were in a trance, her eyes cloudy, she suddenly yelled, "Sun Dragon Fist!"

As her fists came down, the sun's rays shrouded them, forming a dragon composed completely of light. In an instant, there was a gigantic quake and a burst of chakra, and I shielded my eyes from the dirt. I was afraid for Lee and Kaida; that technique was extraordinary. I never saw anything like it. Squinting through the dust, I saw three silhouettes. There was Kaida, her clones disappearing, Lee, and…Guy-sensei? Lee was sprawled out behind Guy, who had an iron grasp on Kaida's fist, holding her up in midair. I sprinted toward them, and Guy demanded, "What do you think you're doing to Lee, little girl?"

Kaida said nothing, her eyes now focused on Guy, frightened.

Lee scrambled up to talk to his sensei. "Guy-sensei, she was just sparring with me," he explained hurriedly. "She is very formidable in taijutsu."

Guy loosened his grip on Kaida, and she landed on her feet, trembling badly. "I was watching the whole time," he told us. "This young girl is quite good, actually. However, when I saw that tremendous amount of chakra, I had to stop it." He crouched down beside Kaida, and looked into her scared eyes. She gulped, and Guy said, "I'm sorry for doing that. I was only concerned about my student being harmed. That technique, by the looks of it, is extremely powerful. What is your name?"

Still trembling, she stuttered, "K-Kaida, sir."

He lay a hand on her shoulder, patting it gently. "You are very powerful," he told her, and she relaxed a bit. "I hope I can meet you again." With that, he and Lee left.

I looked into her eyes, and they still had that trace of horror. Not of the encounter, but of something else…

"You alright?" I asked her, and she nodded.

"I guess," she replied. She took a few steps, and stumbled. I caught her before she fell, and suggested, "I'll let Lady Tsunade look at you for a moment. Your chakra seems to be depleted."

She nodded again, and I tried to support her by serving as her walking cane. Slowly but surely, we made it to the hospital, only for her to finally collapse, nearly bringing me down with her.

I struggled to lift her up, and without any other choice I picked her up gently. Walking through the doors, I spotted Tsunade down the hall, and tried to hurry toward her with Kaida in my arms. Fortunately, she was very light, and I made it pretty quickly. _If she were as heavy as Choji I'd break my back, _I thought grimly.

Tsunade took notice of me, and asked wearily, "What happened?"

"She was sparring with Lee," I explained, out of breath. "I'll tell you everything later."

She took Kaida into a hospital room, and ordered some medics to look after her. Closing the door behind her, she said, "I need to tell you something about this girl. Come with me to my office and I'll explain everything to you."

As I followed her out the hospital, I only had the slightest thought of what it would be.


	4. Chapter 4

_The usual...R&R!_

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Chapter 4

Tsunade flipped through the gigantic stacks of paperwork at her desk. I waited, a little skittish about what Tsunade was going to tell me. What about Kaida? She was so innocent; what did Tsunade need to tell me? That she was actually a 12-year-old missing nin? That seemed highly unlikely at this point.

Tsunade finally pulled out a sheaf of paper. She scanned it quickly, gazed at me, and asked, "Have you ever thought about what village she's from, judging by her speed?"

I never really had. "Sound Village?" I guessed.

To my surprise, she shook her head. "No. Actually, she's from a village that was much, much smaller than our own, called the Village Hidden in the Sky. Although there is a Village Hidden in the Clouds, they are actually quite different. The Sky Village uses light-based attacks, drawing power from the sun, the moon, and the stars. If there isn't a source of natural light, their techniques don't work, and neither do their speed. However, if there is, like today…" she glanced outside. "Their abilities are extremely destructive. I heard from Guy about the sparring match with Lee. According to him, Kaida had managed to summon a giant light dragon with her fist. I thought you said she lost her memory?"

"She did!" I insisted. "She forgot everything, except during that time…" I tried replaying the spar in my head. "She seemed as if she were in a trance. How do you know she's from that village though?"

She held up the piece of paper. "I got a letter from them. They said they had a mission in the Land of Fire for who-knows-what-reason and a squad disappeared, an explosion heard after. The letter asked if we had found a girl's body. Her sensei and teammates managed to escape back to the village. If we found her, we would have to send her back. The catch is that there might be the enemies that messed with her squad, and they might be back to capture her. It's possible that they are trying to find the secret of her village's unique jutsu."

"So what's the course of action?" I asked, trying to hide my fear.

Tsunade folded her arms across her chest. "We'll wait until the danger has passed for her. I haven't replied yet, but when we do have to escort her back, I'll send you to do it."

My mind went blank. "Why does it have to me?" I stammered.

"Apparently, she only trusts you and no one else," Tsunade replied with obvious coolness. "You'd be perfect for the job."

-Kaida's POV-

-Flashback-

_"The enemies are catching up!" my sensei cried._

_I looked back, but my sensei commanded, "Don't look back now. Just run. We have to warn the village about these intruders! We need them to help!"_

_I focused on the task at hand, and the moon glittered overhead. _Clouds, don't cover the moon, _I thought silently. If we have to attack, we still need you._

_My heart was threatening to pound out of my chest, and my legs were turning to jelly. Nevertheless, I kept running to save my neck._

_I was aware of the pattering footsteps behind me. The moon dimly lit the trees, and I could barely see where I was running in this dense forest. This wasn't anything like back home; I was more used to running through the plains than the trees. I started to sprint faster, except for I bumped into something hard, and I cursed under my breath. The next thing I knew was that my hands were forced behind my back, a hand was pushing my head down, and I was in a kneeling position._

_The enemy chuckled under his breath. "Your teammates won't save you now, little girl." I tried to struggle against the man, but he was too powerfully built. "You little wimp, is that it?"_

_Fury powered my struggling, and I wrenched my hands away from his, skidding to a halt a few feet away. I leaped to one side, he did too. I leaped to the other side, and he mimicked me. "You can't get away, wimp."_

_I gazed up at the moon and the stars, still shining brightly. No more time-wasting. The enemy hurled himself at me but I sidestepped it, forming a few hand signs as I passed. Forming the last seal near my mouth, I cried, "Moon Release: Frost Blizzard!" and blew as hard as I could. I watched in satisfaction as the man covered his eyes from the ferocious wind, knowing that in a matter of minutes, he would be frozen solid. I started running, hollering, "Sensei!"_

_Another figure appeared, blocking my way, and I stopped just in time to prevent crashing into him. "Your teammates are dead, you idiot!" he snarled._

_"No they're not!" I screamed, and formed two clones. We ran in a pattern, surrounding him in a star formation. On my signal, we rushed to the enemy, in the middle, and kicked him upward. Taking out a kunai, I shouted, "Moon Release: Lunar Blade!" the kunai extended, turning into a bright light blue, and I jumped up and slashed the man, hearing his screams of agony, feeling his blood splatter my face. It didn't matter; what I had to do now was catch up._

_After my feet made contact with the ground, I continued running, my clones disappearing. I was almost out of breath, and my sight started dimming due to my exhaustion, and I tripped over a tree root. Planting my hand firmly into the dirt, I raised myself up, and seemingly golden eyes glared at me. I scooted back slowly; this man was surely going to kill me. _

_He grinned, and grabbed my arm, dragging me on the dirt, creating small scratches on my legs. His hand reached up to close on my throat, and I gasped for breath, but each breath made it harder. "Got you now," he hissed._

_I had no choice but to use the technique that was my father's specialty. I knew it would expend a lot of chakra, and possibly even kill me, but what else could I do? I'd rather die by my own hands anyway._

_I raised my hands up, palms facing each other. Closing my eyes and forgetting the pain, I concentrated the chakra and the power from the stars. Soon, the bright multi-colored sphere formed, the light so intense that I could see it even through my closed eyelids. Before his free hand lashed at my wrist, I cried with all the breath I could muster, "Star Release: Supernova Cannon!"and pushed forward._

_The sphere turned into a gigantic blast that loosened his grip on my throat immediately, and we were pushed away like two magnets repelling each other. I felt myself flying through the air, and my head was the first to crash into the tree. As I slumped down, the world started to blur, and the moon and the stars seemed to have dimmed along with me._

-End of flashback-

My eyes flew open, my mind was racing, and then it hit me that I was in a hospital…again. Turning my head this way and that, I saw two medical-nins waiting patiently by the door. One asked me, "Are you alright?"

I nodded. "May I have some time alone?" They left respectfully, leaving me to put my head in my hands and cry. I was so confused; I never really felt at ease in this village. Something didn't seem right. During that match with Lee, it was as if something took over me and made me do that attack…I didn't know what.

But now, with this dream, was I a different person? Did I live another life? Was someone looking for me?

If the dream was actually centered on me, then I would have powers that I had never imagined before. If that dream was true, I would have to find the key to my past.

But if I left, that would mean leaving Shino.

He was really the only one who cared for me. Other people just assumed that I was his girlfriend, but…he still cared for me. He was the one who taught me the basic techniques over again. He was the one who wanted to make things better for me.

Plus, he had a handsome face without his glasses.

I smiled, and wiped my tears away, but they were soon flowing again. Shino was the one who found me after that attack, the one who saved me. I shouldn't leave him!

I wouldn't find the answers to my past, then.

I was so torn; my past was a mystery, but Shino was the key to unlocking that past. Gulping, I decided to leave the village and find out about that attack. In order to escape, I would have to run really quickly, which wasn't much of a challenge. When I ran, all that was visible was a blur. I opened the door silently, watching out for any people, and I ran as fast as I could down the halls and out the door, out the village, out into the great blue yonder.

My tears streaming behind me like dew clinging onto invisible leaves, I thought miserably, _I'm sorry, Shino. I truly am._


	5. Chapter 5

_I didn't expect this to be so short T.T sorry. This is the final chapter, and I'm sorry if you're disappointed or whatnot, but this is it. R & R, thanks for the reviews! \(^o^)/_

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Chapter 5

-Shino's POV-

After Tsunade told me to check on Kaida, I rushed to be by her side, hoping she was okay. However, instead of seeing Kaida up and out of bed, I saw two bewildered medical-nin, staring at where Kaida was supposed to have left.

"What happened?" I demanded.

"T-The girl escaped," one stammered.

"How?!" I shouted, and I strained my neck to look out the window. "She couldn't have escaped that way!"

"The door was opened when we checked on her," the other medic said, frightened.

"Damn it," I muttered under my breath, and ran back to the Hokage's office. Shoving open the door in my haste, I yelled, "Tsunade!"

Tsunade's head jerked up, and she snapped, "Don't do that again, you hear?"

"I won't, Lady Tsunade," I promised, "But Kaida's missing!"

That was enough to get her attention. "Shino Aburame! I'll be sending you on a last-minute mission! Go find Kaida, and hurry, you don't have much time!"

Nodding, I scampered out of the office like a chased rat. After I got out into the sunny weather, I ordered my bugs to go and find Kaida while I ran to the gates. People stared at me curiously as I passed. I sighed in relief when I got out of the gates, but I knew that it wasn't quite over yet.

Sweat already running down my face, I turned many times in the forest, hoping to find a trace of her.

_Oh Kaida, what have you done?_

-Kaida's POV-

The sun was starting to set. I finally rounded into a corner, instinct telling me where to go. I finally reached a clearing, and had to stop. I flopped myself onto the grass, and stared up into the sky. I didn't know it, but fell asleep to the sound of my own breathing.

I heard thumping on the grass, and promptly woke up. The sunshine glinted on a metal piece, and I flinched away. Looking directly at it, I saw a cloud-like symbol…and gasped in realization.

The ninja was from the Cloud Village, from the same village as the people who were chasing me.

I scooted back in fright. The man laughed, and spoke, "Looks like we found our ninja from the Sky Village. Perfect." He raised his hand, and lightning chakra shot from his fingertips into the sky, clouding the sky so it blocked the sun, and a lightning bolt came striking at me, and I dodged it just in time, feeling the bottom of my sandal sizzle slightly. Another came, and I had to roll away from it. I glowered at the ninja as he summoned lightning bolts to come and kill me. Noticing my glare, he smirked and said, "I know that you can't use your speed or techniques without natural light." Another lightning bolt landed inches by my stomach, and I could feel myself bouncing up and down like I was on a trampoline. I scrambled to my feet and hastily jumped out of the way of an oncoming bolt. However, it disappeared right before striking the ground.

Staring at where it disappeared was a fatal mistake. Right when it disappeared, I realized with shock that it was only a simple genjutsu. I heard a deafening rumble, and all of a sudden the lightning bolt struck me, intensely shocking me and literally burning my flesh off. I let out an ear-splitting scream; the pain was unbearable. I was going numb. I pleaded, "Stop it! Stop it! I promise I'll tell you everything!" and screamed once more, not caring about my lack of air. As long as he didn't shock me with this lightning bolt, I was good.

His face showed amusement. "Alright, little girl," he agreed, and the bolt was gone, dropping me onto the ground. I gasped as my back hit the ground hard, and rolled over on my side, coughing out blood. I dreaded hearing the footsteps coming toward me, and closed my eyes and focused on my breathing. I could sense his fingers reach toward my shirt collar, but I didn't move. Then, he froze, and I turned around just in time to see a silvery coating cover his whole body.

Bugs.

My head turned to my savior, who was obviously no other than Shino. Shino stood emotionless (although I knew he had feelings for me), hands stretched out in front of him, commanding the bugs. When the ninja fell, the bugs dispersed, and his eyes rolled back into his head. Shino ran to me and picked me up. He asked with concern, "Are you okay?"

I nodded and replied with a small smile, "Now that you're here."

He smiled as well, and said, "Let's head back to the village."

I noticed some movement out of the corner of my eye, and screamed, "Behind you!" Without thinking, I forced him to turn around, my back serving as an already weakened shield. I bit my lip right before the Cloud ninja stabbed my back with a kunai.

-Shino's POV-

I was mute with shock as she swiveled me around, changing places. When the ninja stabbed her, she didn't scream; all she did was turn around slowly, a look of disgust on her face. "You jerk," she muttered. "How dare you sneak up on my friend like that! You will pay!"

A look of contempt on his face, he sneered, "How? There's no natural light." With that, he summoned a lightning bolt and sent it our way. Kaida threw me aside with surprising strength, and told me, "I have an idea." The bolt struck where she stood. Widening my eyes, I cried out, "Kaida!"

The ninja looked at the small crater in satisfaction. "Looks like your friend is gone," he taunted me. "That's too bad. I was planning on…" he abruptly stopped as he saw a kunai in front of his throat. His head turned as far as he dared, and growled, "You little brat!"

She grinned. "There still is natural light."

The ninja, not getting her hint, called forth several lightning bolts, and hurled them at her. She disappeared among the burning bolts, and kicked the man in the stomach, sending him back. Grinning again, she jumped up into the air and performed a roundhouse kick, yelling, "Leaf Whirlwind!"

"You copycat!" I called out at her.

She snorted. "I don't care, Mr. Bossy. Leave this to me, will you?" The man got up, angered, and started shouting out expletives. She shrugged and said, "Toss more at me. I won't care."

He was stupid enough to take her advice. She had regained her speed because the lighting wasn't artificial light; even though it was super quick, she was as well, so she managed to dodge with perfect timing. A lightning bolt whizzed past her head, and she grabbed it with her bare hand, not caring about the burn marks on her hands. Kaida tossed it like a javelin into the sky, and a booming crash was heard. The sky cleared, and there was only a sliver of sun left for her to execute her attack. The ninja sighed, and formed some hand signs, holding his hands high up his head. Kaida also formed hand seals, and the setting sun's rays seemed to collect into her open palm. Lightning chakra formed in the enemy's hands, and light chakra formed in Kaida's. The man shouted out something and thrust his hands at her, but was outshouted by Kaida as she yelled, "Sun Release: Dragon Solar Flare!" and thrust her hand out.

Somehow, she had managed to create a giant reddish-orange dragon, and it crashed against the lightning blast bravely. It finally overpowered the lightning, sending a ferocious gust of wind along. Kaida managed to withstand it, and balanced evenly on her feet. I ran over to her once more, and congratulated her, "Nice job."

She smiled, and fell back, obviously exhausted. I caught her, and ANBU appeared almost right after. "What happened?" one demanded.

"All of you were a little late," I told them, and looked down at Kaida's peaceful face. "Thanks, little dragon," I murmured. "I owe you one."

_The next day…_

"Thanks for everything, Shino-kun," Kaida said. Her back was bandaged, due to the stab, but she was as cheerful as ever. "Really."

I looked down at my feet. "It was nothing. I can't believe you have to go."

She smiled apologetically, and looked up at her sensei, who was standing by her solemnly. "I always have to return to my rightful village. Anyways, I always wondered why I felt out of place here. When you were there with me…it was like I was home. But, now that my memory's back, I have to go home. Maybe I can visit someday?" she asked her sensei.

He shrugged. "If we need help and need to message the Leaf Village, I might let you."

"Thank you, sensei!" Kaida cheered, but became down again. "It might be awhile, though."

"Anything else you want?" I asked.

She grinned, and swiped off my glasses. "I just want to see your face one last time," she replied, and handed them back to me. Then, Kaida flung herself into my arms. "And one last embrace."

I returned the hug warmly, and murmured, "I love you, Kaida."

She pulled away a little, blushing. "I love you too," she admitted, and she and her sensei left the gates, not to be seen for quite a while.

I stared off at the departing figures, and quietly called out some last words.

"Be safe, little dragon. I will always be with you."


End file.
